Credit to: https://www.rhymestudio.com/news
We are so pleased to announce a new exclusive collection featuring wool from the only native, heritage, pure bred, Irish sheep Galway Wool processed and spun by one of Ireland’s finest woolen mills Donegal Yarns. Named for the Irish word for undyed white yarn or little white one, pronounced “bawneen”, Báinín debuts with three designs that celebrate the natural, untreated creamy white qualities of this highly resilient yet soft eco-fiber. With authenticity, responsible craftsmanship and provenance as cornerstones of the Rhyme Studio brand, this new collection promotes the miracle properties of Irish wool as an environmentally friendly renewable and biodegradable material. Rhyme Studio has been a leading advocate in the quest to support the Irish wool market since 2017 which officially collapsed in 2020 while the global fiber industry continues to engage in mass production of artificial, polluting synthetics.
New works from Báinín such as “Crooked Roads”, “Real Irish Wool” and “Spiralis” echo design elements of that very iconic symbol of Irish style, the Aran Sweater which hails from a part of the world steeped in over 4000 years of history, the Aran Islands off the coast of Galway. Originally a sculptured knitted jumper for fishermen made famous by John F. Kennedy’s family, the hand crafted tradition behind this creation was in itself inspired by the rich history of 7th century Irish Insula Art, a recurrent theme in Rhyme Studio first design collection. Traditionally knitting was a vital cottage craft in Ireland but became an endeavor of unique artistic expression on the Aran Islands. “As resilient, undyed Galway Wool was the original choice of yarn for Ireland’s world famous sweater, naturally our new design collection has to celebrate this bio-fiber from Irish nature in its most sustainable and responsible form.” says designer Claire McGovern. Báinín is the design studio’s first collaboration with farmers of Galway Wool Co-Op and historic Donegal Yarns.
The vertical woolen mill Donegal Yarns is located at the heart of a spinning, weaving & knitting tradition in Kilcar, Donegal that has been passed down over many centuries. In Ireland the early tradition of weaving sadly did not survive in many counties but did remain alive and well in this part of the north west. By the 1900s it was wool yarn that informed the primary craft of Donegal homes and the signature “Genuine Donegal Tweed’ derives from a sustainably made, heritage fiber by Donegal Yarns that has since earned world-renowned recognition. Firmly united in their shared goal to restore the market for Irish wool, Donegal Yarns, Rhyme Studio & Galway Wool Co-Op have teamed up to translate beautiful Galway Wool eco-fiber into cutting edge carpet, tapestry and textile design.
Galway Wool Co-Op is a farmer-owned and run co-operative that represents a coalition of lowland sheep breeders producing Ireland’s only native, pure bred, heritage Irish grown bio-fibre as officially recognized by the Irish Government. Established in the 1920s by a group of Athenry based farmers, they provided the original source of wool for the Aran Islander’s sweater. Arguably the happiest sheep in Ireland, Galway Wool farmers shepherd their small flocks with compassion and care providing a naturally off white creamy yarn exclusively to Rhyme Studio that is traceable, antimicrobial, naturally water resistant, naturally flame retardant and air filtering with the ability to even improve indoor air quality.
Composed of traditionally spun Irish wool, Rhyme Studio carpet designs are a celebration of classical to contemporary art, sculpture and Irish craftsmanship. With authenticity and sustainable craft as founding principles, we source traceable fleece from farms on the spectacular west coast of Ireland. Raw wool is sent for processing and spinning at one of the last surviving historic traditional woolen mills in Ireland and then journeys on to a second historic woolen mill to be dyed by hand using only natural and non toxic dyes. Finally it arrives at our rural Irish studio to be tufted into design by the hand of our master craftsman.
Collections include the Limited Edition Insula Series inspired by 7th Century Irish Insular Art and illuminated manuscripts and The Trinity Series, celebrating the concept of “rug as sculpture” and the purity of triangular forms. The OM Series, derived from a 1600 year old “tree” alphabet called Ogham is crafted with naturally brown (undyed) wool of the Irish Zwartbles sheep and a carpet or tapestry design that can spell just about any word. A fourth design collection is the surface sculpted Modernity series, a tribute to Irish designer Eileen Gray and Kasimir Malevich. Báinín, 2022’s new Irish wool carpet & tapestry collection will debut alongside our first textile & cushion design collection REAL IRISH WOOL
OUR STORY
The Rhyme Studio goal is a circular production model for a truly responsible design collection and a percentage of sales are devoted to supporting Irish sheep farmers. A miracle fiber that is virtually unrivaled, Rhyme Studio wool is renewable, traceable, resilient, biodegradable, air purifying, sound absorbing and breathable. In the USA carpet industry alone more than 2.5 million tons of synthetic, chemically toxic material is sent to landfill each year while barely 5% of carpet discarded is recycled. Once the fiber of choice, perfected by nature, wool today accounts for only 2% of the current needs of the global textile industry while resource draining cotton or dirty synthetics dominate current global usage, have no credible recycling concept and mostly wind up in landfill or shed micro plastics that flow into our oceans. Our wool is traceable. We source high quality fleece from small supplier sheep farmers who treat their animals with respect and whose flocks frequently graze upon land that is not viable for agriculture.
“Today wool, the original eco fiber with a multitude of uses, is often discarded while countless billions are still spent producing lab grown and non recyclable fossil fuel dependent fibers to feed an environmentally destructive fast fashion and furniture industry”, says designer and founder Claire McGovern “
Rhyme Studio is a sustainable interior design, art advisory and design manufacturer based in New York City with a production studio in rural Ireland. Born in Dublin, founder Claire McGovern’s first business was an acclaimed art and design gallery evolving into the multi-disciplinary studio she operates today. In 2017 she embarked upon her first sustainable and authentic design collection made entirely by hand in rural Ireland. Beginning with Irish wool designs the collection will eventually grow into a multi-media array of furnishings dedicated only to the highest quality, responsible craftsmanship. Her studio is a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council and designs have been published in the New York Times, New York Magazine / Curbed, Architectural Digest, Interior Design, Irish Arts Review, Irish Times, Cover Magazine.
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